You want white teeth all year round – but especially during the holidays, when you’ve probably got more gatherings than usual on your calendar. Fortunately, you have plenty of time to get a dazzling smile in time for holiday get-togethers!

You’ll find three great whitening options in Valley, NE: professional whitening treatments, dental veneers, and dental bonding. Call Twin Rivers Dental at 531-221-1177 today. Your dentist will help you determine which one is right for your smile.

How Does Each Whitening Treatment Work?

All three whitening options are pretty simple. Only one requires any modification of your teeth. Here is how they work:

  • Professional Whitening – You’ll receive whitening trays and professional-strength gel to use at home at your convenience. In just a few weeks, your teeth will be noticeably brighter. Our treatments are much better than drugstore products at removing stains. They are formulated with a higher concentration of ingredients like hydrogen peroxide.
  • Dental Veneers – Depending on the kind of veneers you choose, we may need to remove a small bit of enamel from your teeth to prepare them for the restorations. Using dental impressions, we’ll have veneers created for you at a lab. You’ll return to our office, and your dentist will securely attach them to the front of your teeth. 
  • Dental Bonding – For a bonding treatment, we’ll first roughen the surface of your teeth. Then your dentist will apply tooth-colored bonding material to cover stains and give your smile a white appearance. We use a special light to cure the material, then polish it so it looks great.

The type of staining you have will affect your results. Especially stubborn stains may not respond well to whitening, so veneers or bonding will be a better choice. As you get older, your tooth enamel gets thinner. Whitening won’t work if your teeth are discolored due to this kind of thinning. You will need veneers or bonding to cover it. 

How Long Will Teeth Stay White?

Professional whitening typically lasts anywhere from a few months to about a year. So you’ll need periodic touch-ups to maintain your results. Veneers are made from stain-resistant materials like porcelain. They can stay white for years. Bonding stays white longer than a whitening treatment, but it won’t last as long as veneers. 

With all three treatments, you can keep your teeth looking bright longer by avoiding staining foods and drinks like tomato sauce, coffee, soda, and red wine. If you can, rinse your mouth with water after consuming these substances. 

Unlike whitening or bonding, veneers are not a reversible solution. Once enamel has been removed from your teeth, you will need a restoration to cover them. 

What Do Whitening Treatments Cost?

Cost is obviously a factor when you whiten teeth. Professional whitening is the least expensive. However, other factors come into play when considering cost. 

We’ve already mentioned longevity. Let’s say veneers last 12 years. You’d have to repeat whitening treatments multiple times during that period to keep your teeth bright. You’d probably also have to repeat your bonding treatment. 

Another factor is versatility. Both bonding and veneers not only keep your teeth white, they also hide flaws like chips, cracks, gaps, and misshapen teeth. So while whitening costs less than either of those treatments, it won’t give you as big of an improvement in your smile’s overall appearance. 

Want white teeth? We can help you get them! Call Twin Rivers Dental at 531-221-1177 today to explore your whitening options.